Steam mops are well known devices for cleaning bare floor surfaces, such as tile, linoleum, vinyl, laminate, and hardwood floors. Typical steam mops have a reservoir for storing water that is fluidly connected to a selectively engageable pump or valve. The pump or valve outlet is fluidly connected to a steam boiler with a heating element to heat the water. The steam boiler generates steam, which is directed towards the cleaning surface through a nozzle or manifold mounted in the foot. Steam is typically applied to the backside of a mop pad or cloth attached to the foot. Steam vapor eventually saturates the entire pad as the moisture wicks outwardly from the point of steam application. The damp pad is wiped across the surface to be cleaned to remove dirt, dust, and debris present on the cleaning surface.
A bare floor cleaner has heretofore been sold in the United States by BISSELL Homecare, Inc. under the mark Steam Mop™. The Steam Mop™ bare floor cleaner comprises a base assembly and an upright handle pivotally mounted to the base assembly. The base assembly includes a base housing with a fluid distributor for distributing fluid to the surface to be cleaned and a mop pad that is affixed beneath the base housing and positioned for contacting the surface to be cleaned. The upright handle includes a handle housing, a water tank mounted to the handle housing and adapted to hold a quantity of water, a fluid distribution system between the water tank and the base housing fluid distributor for distributing fluid from the water tank to the mop pad for applying the steam to the surface to be cleaned, and a heating element within the fluid distribution system for heating the water from the water tank to steam.
During use, the mop pad eventually becomes saturated with liquid and soiled with embedded dirt, dust, and debris. The soiled mop pad can be laundered and re-used. A mop pad can generally be used for one or two steam mopping sessions prior to being laundered.